User equipment, electronic system, drug delivery device, method, machine-readable code, data storage medium, and set

Abstract

A user equipment is proposed comprising an electronic control unit ( 42 ) and a wireless communication unit ( 44 ) operatively connected to the electronic control unit, the electronic control unit ( 42 ) being configured to control operation of the wireless communication unit ( 44 ), the wireless communication unit being operable to determine at least one characteristic associated with at least one component of a drug delivery device ( 10 ). Furthermore, an electronic system, a drug delivery device, a method, a machine-readable code, a data storage medium, and a set are provided.

1 . A user equipment, e.g. a smart watch, comprising:
 an electronic control unit ( 42 ), and   a wireless communication unit ( 44 ) operatively connected to the electronic control unit, the electronic control unit ( 42 ) being configured
 to control operation of the wireless communication unit ( 44 ), the wireless communication unit being operable to determine at least one characteristic associated with at least one component of a drug delivery device ( 10 ), 
 to evaluate the at least one determined characteristic, and 
 based on the result of the evaluation to issue or to decide whether to issue one or more control unit commands, wherein the one or more control unit commands comprise commands configured to cause 
 a) an equipment signaling unit of the user equipment to present information relating to the drug delivery device to the user, the information being based on the at least one determined characteristic, and/or to cause 
 b) the wireless communication unit to send a system command to an electronic system of or for the drug delivery device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The user equipment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the electronic control unit is configured to decide, based on the result of the evaluation, whether the wireless communication unit ( 44 ) should send at least one unlock command as the system command to the electronic system ( 14 ) to unlock at least one usability function of the drug delivery device ( 10 ), and wherein the user equipment is configured to send the unlock command only when the result of the evaluation is that the at least one determined characteristic meets at least one predetermined criterion.   
     
     
         3 . The user equipment of  claim 1 or 2 ,
 wherein the user equipment ( 40 ) is a wearable device, e.g. a smart watch.   
     
     
         4 . The user equipment of  any one of the preceding claims ,
 wherein the at least one determined characteristic comprises the distance between or the proximity of the component of the drug delivery device ( 10 ) and the user equipment and evaluating the at least one determined characteristic comprises determining whether the component or the entire drug delivery device is within a predetermined distance of the user equipment, and wherein, only when the component or the drug delivery device is within the predetermined distance, the unlock command is sent as the system command.   
     
     
         5 . The user equipment of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the user equipment is configured to use UWB (ultra-wide band) distance measurement to determine the distance between or the proximity of drug delivery device and user equipment.   
     
     
         6 . The user equipment of  any one of the preceding claims ,
 wherein the at least one determined characteristic comprises identifiers of at least two components of the drug delivery device ( 10 ), e.g. component-type identifiers, wherein evaluating the at least one determined characteristic comprises determining whether the at least two components of the drug delivery device are compatible with one another, and wherein the user equipment is configured to send the unlock command only when the components are compatible with one another.   
     
     
         7 . The user equipment of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the user equipment is configured to determine a first identifier of a first component and a second identifier of a second component of the device in one relative position with respect to the drug delivery device, e.g. simultaneously.   
     
     
         8 . The user equipment of  any one of the preceding claims ,
 wherein the user equipment ( 40 ) comprises the equipment signaling unit ( 46 ), and wherein the equipment signaling unit is operatively connected to the electronic control unit ( 42 ) and, on instruction by the electronic control unit ( 42 ), configured to indicate at least one of the following:
 a device identification to indicate a drug delivery device ( 10 ) which the user should use for an upcoming medicament administration, 
 information on the compatibility of components of the drug delivery device, 
 a ready state of the drug delivery device, especially a state after having sent the unlock command, and/or 
 a dose amount to be set in the drug delivery device ( 10 ) for a dose delivery operation. 
   
     
     
         9 . An electronic system ( 14 ) for a drug delivery device ( 10 ), wherein the electronic system comprises a system wireless communication unit ( 30 ) configured to wirelessly receive an unlock command from a user equipment ( 40 ), e.g. a user equipment according to any of  claims 1 to 8 , and a system electronic control unit ( 32 ) which is operatively connected to the system wireless communication unit and configured to, in response to the unlock command, issue an activation command to activate at least one usability function of the drug delivery device ( 10 ). 
     
     
         10 . The electronic system of  claim 9 ,
 wherein activating the at least one usability function comprises switching on or revealing a dose display ( 38 ) of the drug delivery device.   
     
     
         11 . The electronic system of  claim 9 or 10 ,
 wherein activating the at least one usability function comprises unlocking a dose member ( 34 ,  36 ) of the drug delivery device ( 10 ), wherein the drug delivery device is configured such that the dose member, in response to the activation command, is moved relative to a housing of the drug delivery device, e.g. axially, from a locked or non-operating position into an operating position.   
     
     
         12 . The electronic system of any one of  claims 8 to 10 ,
 wherein the system electronic control unit ( 32 ) is configured to issue a ready command to cause a system signaling unit ( 39 ), in response to the ready command, to indicate to the user that the drug delivery device is ready for commencing a dosing operation.   
     
     
         13 . A drug delivery device, comprising
 a container module ( 16 ) as a component of the drug delivery device, the container module comprising or being configured to retain a container with drug, and   a mechanism module ( 12 ) as a component of the drug delivery device, the mechanism module comprising a drive mechanism for setting a dose of medicament to be delivered from the container and delivering the set dose,   
       wherein the container module and the mechanism module are releasably connectable to one another, wherein the container module comprises an identifier for being communicated to the wireless communication unit of the user equipment according to any one of  claims 1 to 8 , and wherein 
       the mechanism module comprises an identifier for being communicated to the wireless communication unit of the user equipment according to any one of  claims 1 to 8 . 
     
     
         14 . The drug delivery device of  claim 13 ,
 further comprising the electronic system ( 14 ) of any one of  claims 7 to 10  as a component of the drug delivery device.   
     
     
         15 . A method for preparing a drug delivery device ( 10 ) for a dosing operation, e.g. a drug delivery device according to  claim 13 or 14 , with the aid of a user equipment ( 40 ), e.g. a user equipment according to  claims 1 to 8 , the method comprising the following steps:
 wirelessly determining at least one characteristic of at least one component of the drug delivery device ( 10 ) via the user equipment ( 40 ),   unlocking at least one usability function of the drug delivery device ( 10 ) when the at least one determined characteristic meets a predefined criterion.   
     
     
         16 . A machine-readable code that when loaded on and/or executed by an electronic control unit of a user equipment ( 40 ) causes the user equipment to function as a user equipment according to any of  claims 1 to 8  or controls the method of  claim 15 . 
     
     
         17 . A data storage medium comprising the machine-readable code of  claim 16 . 
     
     
         18 . A set comprising:
 one of, an arbitrarily selected plurality of or all of the following:
 the user equipment ( 40 ) of one of  claims 1 to 8 , 
 the electronic system ( 14 ) of one  claims 9 to 12 , 
 one or more components of the drug delivery device ( 10 ) of  claims 13 to 14 , 
 the drug delivery device ( 10 ) of  claims 13 to 14 , 
 the machine-readable code of  claim 16 , and 
 the data storage medium of claim  17 . 
   
     
     
         19 . A user equipment, e.g. a smart watch, comprising:
 an electronic control unit ( 42 ), and   a wireless communication unit ( 44 ) operatively connected to the electronic control unit, the electronic control unit ( 42 ) being configured
 to control operation of the wireless communication unit ( 44 ), the wireless communication unit being operable to determine at least one characteristic associated with at least one component of a drug delivery device ( 10 ), 
 wherein the at least one characteristic comprises the distance between or the proximity of the component and the user equipment, e.g. its wireless communication unit, 
 to evaluate the at least one determined characteristic, and 
 based on the result of the evaluation to issue or to decide whether to issue one or more control unit commands, wherein the one or more control unit commands comprise commands configured to cause 
 a) an equipment signaling unit of the user equipment to present information relating to the drug delivery device to the user, the information being based on the at least one determined characteristic, and/or to cause 
 b) the wireless communication unit to send a system command to an electronic system of or for the drug delivery device.